Barney’s Babble reveals secrets about the man behind the Manolos

Simon Doonan’s Barney’s Babble is getting better and better. And he knows how to grab readers with a headline: “Manolo Blahnik: Shocking Secrets Revealed.” Well, the secrets may not be totally shocking, but they’re definitely entertaining. Among them is a story of how Manolo got his name from a canary with a deformed beak, a legend that Manolo takes every shoe he designs to the family priest for blessing – and that when he skipped this ritual all the heels fell off the unblessed shoe, and a beauty secret involving figs. We might have to take some of Simon’s chatter with a grain of salt, but you’ll definitely feel like you know Manolo better after reading the column.